Cafardo: Yankees have been scouting Lyle Overbay

Via NickCafardo: The Yankees have been scouting Lyle Overbay closely in recent days and weeks. He’s gone 8-for-36 (.222) with a double and two triples (!) in Grapefruit League play. Joel Sherman says the team is still looking for help even after the Vernon Wells trade.

Overbay, 36, hit .259/.331/.397 (91 wRC+) with two homers in 131 plate appearances for the Diamondbacks and Braves last season. He’s always been an all-fields double hitter — meaning the short porch in right field might not help him a ton — who can play the hell out of first base, but his game has taken a step back at his age. Overbay can opt out of his minor league deal with the Red Sox on Tuesday, but they might carry him on their Opening Day roster since David Ortiz is expected to start the season on the DL.

Maybe its the hangover from the Vernon Wells trade….but I would be extremely pleased if the Yanks were able to snag Overbay to take over 1b against RH’s. I know he isn’t going to be an all star but at least he can be productive and is an actual MLB caliber first basemen.

YANKEEZOMBIE

-THIS GUY IS A REJECT FROM A TEAM THAT IS POSITIVELY DESPERATE FOR PRODUCTIVE PLAYERS (RED SOX) and the Yanks actually thibnk he could contribute?? i must be on acid!(still)

Robinson Tilapia

Definitely an upgrade over Rivera defensively. I might like Rivera’s bat more, but the difference is probably negligible and you’d hope for either guy to overachieve in the short run with the bat.

trr

not sure if want….

hornblower

They need a defensive 1st. baseman at least for the late innings. Youk and Nunez can be a little wild. Get him.

forensic

There aren’t unlimited roster spots. There’s really no place for a late innings defensive replacement at only 1B with no other abilities.

vicki

true dat. i spent a few weeks real close to the field in tampa and the only leather i thought was any good was dan johnson’s. yeah, no, i don’t like saying that.

Zach

I’ve seen some rumors about Gaby Sanchez, what do you think? He is younger, RH bat, and is decent. What would it cost(I saw Aardsma) and is he worth it?

DC

That was nothing more than Joel Sherman playing fantasy GM.

vicki

eh? gary sanchez?? we like gary sanchez.

it is truly a game of consonants.

Jim Is Bored

If we could trade Aardsma, right now, straight up for Gaby Sanchez, I’d do it.

KLitke

Rivera and Overbay would be a decent platoon.

Jerkface

Too many roster spots devoted to 1B or players that can play 1B (youk included)

vicki

which is to say, not so much.

love the pick-up-ducks mentality, however. every ticket’s a winner.

(‘s my bottomline point to the hysterials. y’all gonna see some weird-ass stuff this season; stay loose or go fuck yerselfs.

choose now!)

Vern Sneaker

This one makes sense to me.

Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)

Meh, likely better all around than Rivera at 1B.

forensic

Overbay has a little advantage defensively over Rivera. Overbay is basically unusable offensively vs. lefties while Rivera is basically unusable offensively vs. righties so that’s a slight advantage for Overbay but I’m not sure he would really hit righties well enough to even make it worth it at this point vs. what Rivera might do vs. lefties. Plus, they’d likely already have given Rivera his roster bonus (I believe tonight/tomorrow) so they’ve already invested money in him.

Six of one, half a dozen of the other. Overall, they both suck though…

CashmanNinja

I think that Rivera is a bit better offensively, but Overbay’s defense is so much better than what Rivera brings to the table that he will/should get the spot (if we even got him). Youk isn’t the most accurate guy and Nunez…well…yeah, let’s just say that right now Overbay’s defense is much, much more valuable than Rivera’s offense. It’s not like Juan Rivera is a .300/30/100 candidate. He had a god awful OBP last year (.286…yes, a .286 OBP). He really does struggle to get an OBP over .300 consistently throughout his career so I’ll take the guy with the proven glove over hopes that Rivera might be able to hit and maybe play defense. It’s not like Overbay and Rivera’s offensive #’s are different if they are each a shell of their former self; Overbay still has value because of his defense. That’s the deal breaker between the 2.

vicki

yikes. no way, overbay.

i usually get home late enough that the crazy has passed through a sieve; i get to laugh at knee-jerks, and blithely debunk bad rumors.

still saying so way overbay.

LarryM., Fl.

The Yankees have collected all possible options at corner OF and utility inf. I agree Overbay would be a huge plus over Juan Riveria at first base. The acquisition of Wells makes Riveria expendable. There are other options presently better for the roster spot than Riveria. The short porch and wind stream in right might revitalize Mr. Overbay.

We know the direction that the Yankees are going for 2014. All these moves are just confirming the direction if they get there will be determined by the quality in the minors advancing or another 2013 season roster repeated in 2014.

Dropped Third

If they get him, does that mean Ronnie won’t make the squad?

jsbrendog

it’s almost a given he already wasn’t making it anyway

MB923

So I guess that makes Nix the utility man on the bench then, since Nunez will be starting now?

OKYankee

FWIW I value Cafardo’s rumors only slightly above Bleacher Report’s

PghPinstripes

Overpaid SUCKS! We watched him for a year in Pittsburgh. His offensive was horrid and his defense was way overrated. He is on the rapid age decent. I don’t want him on the Yankees. He needs to get on with his life’s work.

Bavarian Yankee

via MLBTR: the Red Sox just released Overbay.

Cris Pengiucci

Now let’s see if the Yankees try to pick him up. My guess is that would mean the end of Rivera. 3 players (4 if A-Rod returns in July) will need to move somewhere as the regulars return from the DL, so the roster could change significantly this season.

Pasta

Why would they get rid of rivera
He can be the 1st baseman against southpaws
And overbay against righties
Also he can fill in in of and dh platoon with hafner.